Archives for February 2009

Chiefs GM Scott Pioli is using his pull in New England to snag a couple of key players from his former employer. After putting the franchise tag on him, the Patriots send QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs.

The Chiefs send their second round draft pick to New England for Vrabel, a 12 year veteran and a quarterback who until he stepped in for Tom Brady (who ironically was injured by the Chiefs in week one) hadn’t started a football game since high school.

Cassel stepped in and put up huge numbers this past season. He went on to throw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns in 15 starts.

In a statement released by Pioli, he said, "I have a long history with both players, Mike and Matt are men that I respect both personally and professionally. I look forward to having them as new members of the Chiefs family."

This is a huge move for the Chiefs who will look to Vrabel leadership at linebacker and they get a proven QB who can play in the NFL. With Cassel running the offense, the Patriots went 11-5. This will allow the Chiefs to use that number three pick on another position which will also be an instant upgrade.

It was only for two innings, but Zach Greinke outpitched Randy Johnson as the Royals got great pitching all game to beat the Giants 6-1. Greinke pitched two no-hit innings while striking out one.

Johnson gave up a run in his two innings of work. The Royals continue to swing the bat well in Arizona. Shortstop Mike Aviles was 2 for 4 and catcher Miguel Olivo was 2 for 3 with a double. Ryan Shealy hit the team’s seventh home run.

The Royals’ Tim Hamulack gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the 8th, giving the Giants their lone run on just five hits for the day.

Even though it was his first outing, great to see Greinke pitch well. He’ll be the main guy in that rotation this season.

It got interesting in the bottom of the 9th. The Mets scored four times, but come up short as the Cardinals get their first spring training win of the season in a 9-8 final. Jarret Hoffpauir and Allen Craig provided key two out hits.

Both delivered with two hits and two RBI apiece as the Cardinals outscored their run output from the first two games in this one. Rick Ankiel, Colby Rasmus, and Jon Jay also picked up RBIs.

Todd Wellemeyer allowed four hits and three runs in his two innings. The Mets couldn’t do much against Josh Kinney, Jason Motte and P.J. Walters. Kinney allowed three walks in an inning, but through the seventh, the Mets had no other runners reach base by walk or a hit. The Mets tacked on late runs against Adam Ottovino and Royce Ring.

New England’s Pro Bowl linebacker Mike Vrabel is in Kansas City undergoing a physical so that he can then be traded to the Chiefs. General Manager Scott Pioli is reaching out to bring in a player familiar with his system, and New England is a willing trade partner.

That is according to the Chiefs blog website arrowheadpride.com . Vrabel will be entering his 12th season. Over 11 NFL seasons, Vrabel has recorded 614 tackles (417 solo), 51 sacks, 10 interceptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, 31 passes defensed, 15 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.

Vrabel has recorded 10 career receptions in regularseason and playoff games, all going for touchdowns. He has caught eight passes for 11 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season and two passes for three yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs.

State Senator Jack Goodman (R-Mount Vernon) wants to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Goodman is in the midst of a tour of cities and towns in Missouri’s 7th Congressional District announcing he is running for Congressman Roy Blunt’s seat in the House of Representatives. Blunt is seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond, who is retiring after four terms.

Goodman’s first stop on the announcement tour was Joplin, with stops then scheduled in Mount Vernon, Springfield, and Branson. Additional campaign stops are also scheduled for Saturday and Monday.

Goodman, an attorney, was first elected to the General Assembly when he won a Missouri House seat in 2002. He won a special election to the State Senate in 2005.

It wasn’t expected to happen this soon. Not in Mike Anderson’s third season as coach of the Missouri Tigers, but they control their own destiny in the race for the Big 12 regular season championship.

I can’t help but draw parallels between the basketball team and the football. When the football team went to Kansas City, the day after Thanksgiving, the Tigers had the Big 12 north wrapped up but still wanted to beat their rival. They stumbled not only that week, but were humiliated by Oklahoma in their home state the next week in the Big 12 Championship game.

I don’t get that excited about the Big 12 regular season title, because it won’t have much of an effect on where the Tigers are seeded in the NCAA tournament. They’ll have the first round bye in the Big 12 tournament and it’s what they do that weekend that will have the bigger influence on their national seeding.

However, these final three games are still important. Beat KU and Oklahoma and run the table on the regular season and they will be as high as a two seed. Lose these games, the Tigers still a five seed or better, but the psychological damage is done.

The glass is half full side of me says this basketball team can do it. For starters, this isn’t the National Champion Jayhawks from a year ago. Part of me is convinced MU is the better team on paper. Despite a lousy first half at home, Mizzou wore down KU and had them grabbing at their shorts while the Tigers found a way to come back from a double digit deficit. Now, the Tigers are playing with even more confidence and they’ve proven they can win on the road in tough Big 12 venues.

The glass is half empty side tells me that even though the Tigers have won at places like Texas, there are still five freshmen who will be baptized this weekend to the frenzied fans at Allen Fieldhouse and the Tigers continue to get off to slow starts. That could happen again, and this time Bill Self will do a better job of rotating his bench so they don’t wear down.

Listen to my preview of the game with sound from head coaches Mike Anderson and Bill Self, plus from players Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence and KU’s Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins.

Some Missourians have been known for years to go noodling, or and-fishing. You stick your hand under a log or into a hole underwater and see if you can’t get a catfish to grab on. The sport’s illegal in the state now … but a bill (SB 350) by Sen. Dan Clemons (R-Marshfield) of Southwest Missouri would change that. His bill would allow enthusiasts to bag five fish per person during a two-month season.

Bill Turner with the Department of Conservation says their studies show this diminishes a vital population. Turner says noodlers target the bigger catfish, which are fewer in numbers than smaller fish in Missouri’s rivers. He also says when they’re yanked off their nests, if there are eggs in that nest, the eggs die.

Noodlers Anonymous was there — comprising young and old — to explain their passion. They say it’s a family tradition passed on through several generations, and a viable sport; no different than hunting or fishing that thousands of Missourians are allowed to enjoy.

Some members allege the Department of Conservation skewed test results to prove noodling has an adverse effect on catfish populations and that noodlers are being discriminated against.

Sen. Chuck Purgason (R-Caulfield) told the Department of Conservation that they need to work with the noodlers to put measures in place everyone can live with, that it’s not the legislatures place — most of whom have no knowledge of the sport nor the biological impact — to make a decision on the matter. He said noodlers pay taxes just like everyone else in the state and they’re entitled to enjoy their sport just like everyone else.

Supporters and opponents of the measure stated their cases for the Senate Agriculture Committee … it was a heated debate that continued in the Capitol halls after that hearing concluded.

A Senate Joint Resolution (No. 8), sponsored by Sen. Wes Shoemyer (D-Clarence), from Northeast Missouri, would put the measure to a vote of the people.

The broadcast of the story and audio from opponents, proponents and Senators are listed below.

The College of the Ozarks women’s basketball team is hosting College of St. Mary in their MCAC tournament. The Bobcat men are in Oklahoma taking on 14th ranked Bellevue, Nebraska. College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout will host the NAIA national tournament beginning March 11 th .

Oklahoma Wesleyan University will host the 2008-09 MCAC Men’s Basketball Tournament this weekend at the Mueller Athletic Center after securing the regular season conference title with an 11-1 MCAC record.

Both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads completed the second day of the 2009 Big 12 Championships in third place. The men have 241 points, while the women sit at 209 heading into Friday’s competition.

For the Tigers, seven new school records were broken on the day, bringing their weekend total to 12. On top of that, 14 new top-10 times were set as the Tigers continued to rewrite their school record book.

Women – Team Rankings – Through Event 14 1. The University of Texas–307 2. Texas A&M University–281 3. University of Missouri–209

Men – Team Rankings – Through Event 14 1. The University of Texas–397 2. Texas A&M University–265 3. University of Missouri–241